Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services

Providing mediation for people who work outside of the box! Freelancers Mediation specializes in serving freelancers, contractors, small business owners, and parents who like to have control over their own lives. So much can be achieved by face to face conversation about the issues that matter. Let me help you take control over your life through nonviolent, out of court dispute resolution — this is mediation.

Freelancers Mediation was founded by Shannon Fritts-Penniman, an experienced mediator who formerly worked for New Justice Conflict Resolution Services, Inc. in Cortland, NY. He has mediated over 70 cases, and continues to volunteer at Community Mediation Services in Queens.

Shannon’s approach to mediation is to model extreme listening skills and use laser-like focus to understand what a party is really saying even when their words fail them. Shannon also employs humor and empathy to humanize the conflict while also addressing the most serious claims first. He believes that getting the crux of the problem out in the open creates an opportunity to pivot in a number of directions – those directions to be shaped and directed by the parties themselves.

Mediation is completely voluntary, and a participant may decide to stop the process at any time. A participant may also decide to consider certain solutions to the problem and not others. Shannon works to encourage creativity to the problem solving process, and asks the participants to think outside the box and consider solutions that they may have not thought of before going to mediation. Shannon also believes in the value of partial agreements, because a partial agreement sets the stage for future communication between the participants. Resolving the conflict after the mediation is just as good as resolving it in front of the mediator.

When considering mediation as an option for your dispute or case, there are a few questions to consider:

Will you have to interact with this person in the future? Do you want to have a friendly or cordial relationship with this person in the future?

Do you have the time and the money to file a case in court to resolve your dispute? How long would it take for your case to be scheduled in front of a judge?

Do you want or need legal advice in order to resolve your dispute?

Do you think the other person knows how you really feel about the issue at hand?

Do you want to keep the matter confidential from the media and from other people?

Mediation is confidential. Statements made during mediation cannot be used against a party in court, and a mediator cannot be called to testify about what happened at a mediation session. The only exception to confidentiality is an imminent threat of physical harm to an identifiable person.

If you would like to set up an appointment, please visit my contact page and submit your contact information, or call (607) 227-3851.